"Good morning and welcome to Basapa Hotel. How may I help you today?" the receptionist smiled as Hyeorae and I approached her.
"Hi, I have booked accommodation for the weekend. It's under my boss' name," I replied.
"What's his name, madam?"
"The accommodation is under Mr. Nam's name."
"Okay," she said, typing away on her computer
She asked another, "May I ask for your name as well, madam? And what's your relationship with Mr. Nam?"
"Ryuk Mingyu. I'm his secretary."
She typed once again on her computer before she replied, "Got it. Well, let me have a quick check into this. You may wait over there," she pointed at the bench across the front desk.
"Thank you," I smiled and we proceeded to the said bench. I sat down and Hyeorae did the same. He handed over my luggage and I put it in between my legs.
The lobby wasn't what I expected it to be. Yes, it was in a beach but with the likes of Mr. Nam, I thought he preferred prestigious business partners. But to my surprise, this hotel has a simple, jolly and welcoming vibe.
The entire facility didn't look like a hotel. It looked like one big compound of rental huts for its guests. The lobby was made of wood, with its entrance wide open, allowing the sea breeze to enter. Plants were decorated all around the place, adding color to the brown shade of the wooden walls.
Apart from that, the guests weren't the formal and business-focused type of people. Everybody wore a range of summer shirts, from the floral ones to Hawaiian ones, partnered with cowboy hats or shades. And that was only for the men. The women wore their best bikinis or a swimming bra, partnered with shorts.
Basically, Mr. Nam was planning to partner with a laid-back client. Which was a bit of a surprise because I was so user to seeing Mr. Nam with formal investors and partners. But I liked it because this place didn't give me that big of a pressure to be absolutely formal.
The quiet atmosphere was broken when Hyeorae suddenly asked, "Do you want anything, Miss Ryuk?" He continued after I turned to him, "I can get you something to eat or drink."
"Oh, there's no need for that. I'm alright," I smiled. "But if you want to buy something, then by all means, go ahead."
He shook his head and replied, "I'm fine, Miss Ryuk. I just want to make sure that you're comfortable, that's all."
"Ah, I see," I nodded. I continued, "Thanks for that. How long have you been Mr. Nam's employee, by the way?"
"Five years," he grinned with pride. "Almost the same time as Haru was also recruited."
"Is that why you and him were close?" I asked.
He nodded. He continued, "We were both put under numerous training and seminars before we were given our roles. We were already considered for positions inside the building. However, when Mr. Nam asked us to fill in the roles of being a personal driver or bodyguard, we couldn’t refuse him.”
“But isn’t a position inside - mainly, in his floor - has a higher salary rate?” I asked. I quickly followed that with, “I’m not saying that the salary is your main concern. I’m just thinking that inside the building, it's better pay, better benefits and it’s a lot safer.”
“Well, we actually thought that way at first. But the good thing about Mr. Nam is once he recruits someone and gives them a position on the field, everything is better,” he said. “The salary is higher. Benefits are better and our security becomes top priority. And that’s a good thing for us who provide for our families on a daily basis.”
I nodded. “Are you the breadwinner of your family? I hope you don’t mind me asking. You can avoid the question if you’re uncomfortable answering it,” I replied.
“No, it’s okay, Miss Ryuk,” he smiled. He continued, “I’m actually a single parent.”
“Really?” My smile widened.
“Mm-hm,” he nodded. He continued, “I’m a father to an adorable little girl. And she’s the pearl of my world.” He grabbed his wallet and opened it, showing a picture of him with his daughter.
They were in an amusement park and the child was wearing a duckling onesie. She also held cotton candy on one hand whilst being carried by her father. Both father and daughter wore matching giraffe headbands.
“What a cutie,” I giggled. “She has your eyes,” I smiled as I looked at him.
“Yeah,” he chucked as I returned the wallet. “People say that all the time,” he added, closing his wallet and putting it back in his black jacket.
With caution, I asked, “If it’s okay to ask, why are you a solo parent? Where is her mother?”
“Hm, that’s quite a story, Miss Ryuk,” he said. “Are you sure you want to hear about it?”
Worried that I offended him, I quickly replied, “My apologies if I became too intrusive. Like I said, you don’t need to tell me if you’re uncomfortable sharing it.”
“No, no, I don’t mind. It can help us pass the time,” he smiled. He added, “However, my story can be a bit depressing. And I don’t want to affect your day because of my sad history.”
Relieved, I was able to relax a bit. I then said, “I’m open to any kind of story. And if we’re going to talk about depression stories from the past, you should hear mine. It could be worse.